European Country Faces Hottest Day On Record And 40 People Drowned Amid Heatwave
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France Faces Hottest Day On Record And 40 People Drowned Amid Heatwave
(Photo by JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP via Getty Images)
Alexander Pease Contributor June 24, 2026 2:46 PM ET June 24, 2026 2:46 PM ET Alexander Pease Contributor Font Size:France faced its hottest day on record Tuesday as its prime minister said 40 people had passed away from drowning.
French people are reportedly swimming in unsupervised regions amid the heat, with some passing away, according to The Guardian. French prime minister Sébastien Lecornu said the majority of the dead were young in a statement Tuesday. Germany has also suffered five dead from swimming accidents, according to officials. Both countries continue to have far fewer households with air conditioning (AC) than the U.S.
“There is a tragic scourge of drownings,” France’s Lecornu said. “The latest figures we’ve received are 40 deaths since 18 June. Most of the victims are young people.”
Regions of western France have faced over temperatures of over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, according to The Guardian.
A powerful heat dome driven by hot air moving north from Africa has locked record-shattering temperatures across Western and Central Europe, with an estimated 94 million people experiencing temperatures above 35°C. France recorded its hottest June day in history on Tuesday, with… pic.twitter.com/NicST5hjbd
— Orbital (@orbital_news_) June 24, 2026
The amount of AC units in France sits at about 25% of households, France24 reported in June. As for Germany, the percentage was at 19%, according to a 2024 report from Clean Energy Wire. Meanwhile, over nine in 10 U.S. households are equipped with AC, according to the U.S. Census Bureau
The French prime minister said the heat is nothing like the country has seen in recent times. “We’re experiencing an episode of exceptional intensity,” Lecornu said. “Every day and every night, local and national temperature records are being broken.” (RELATED: FIFA Could Be A Nightmare For Host Cities)
The heat levels surpassed all formal measurements since they began being recorded nationally in France, the national weather service Meteo France said Tuesday on X. The organization reported that the heat reached around 111.7 degrees Fahrenheit in Pissos, France. The Guardian noted that the country began keeping records in 1947.
The Eiffel Tower and the Louvre, major centers for tourism, announced that they were cutting operating hours due to safety concerns coming from high temperatures.
Some 1,350 schools also closed Monday in France. Two children, a four-year-old and a two-year-old, were discovered deceased in their family vehicle, prosecutor Helene Mourges said, according to The Guardian. She said heat was being considered as a potential cause.
Paris region officials suggested that locals work from home when possible and not use the rail system. “The transport network comes under severe strain in periods of extreme heat … railways cannot withstand temperatures above 50 degrees,” Valérie Pécresse of the Ile-de-France are told journalists, according to the outlet.
The root cause of the heat is a weather pattern from Africa called an Omega block due it being shaped like the Greek letter, Clair Barnes, an extreme weather and climate research associate at London’s Imperial College, explained to Reuters. It features a bulge of hot air in the middle surrounded by cooler air to either side, according to the scientist.
“It’s drawing warm air up from north Africa, from the Sahara, and that’s why we have this really intense heat,” Barnes said. “It’s very slow moving and it means there’s kind of no wind, no breeze for respite.”
An omega block takes its name from the shape of the Greek letter Ω. https://t.co/irm44Q0xjC https://t.co/irm44Q0xjC
— Reuters Science News (@ReutersScience) June 23, 2026
Some English schools closed early Tuesday in anticipation of a heat wave, The Guardian reported.
The vast majority of Spain was under high alert Tuesday as alerts warned of “extraordinary danger” for certain areas, including near Cordoba, according to the outlet.
Badenoch blasts 'moaning' female Labour MPs over Burnham jobs 'quota'
Kemi Badenoch has told Labour women to earn a job in Andy Burnham's Cabinet instead of demanding they are handed jobs because of their gender.
The Tory leader lashed out today amid reports that female MPs are demanding the de-facto new prime minister introduce a 50:50 gender split 'quota' in his government.
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister also complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts.
But in a scathing article in the Times today Mrs Badenoch told them to 'stop moaning' and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'.
'There are many, many reasons why you shouldn't have any Milibands in the cabinet,' she said.
'But complaining that the boys haven't given them the right jobs or that the boys are taking all the jobs, just shows that Labour's women still don't get it.'
The idea of quotas was also attacked by Baroness Jacqui Smith, Labour's Skills Minister.
Asked by Times Radio if Mr Burnham should reserve jobs for women, she said: 'No, I think what Andy Burnham should be doing is building the very best team around him to change this country.'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband (above, right, in 2010) is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts
But Mrs Badenoch told them to pipe down and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party and seen by the BBC has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs after he succeeds Sir Keir Starmer.
'We are asking you to demonstrate this change from day one and address the toxicity and misogyny within our own party and government,' it said.
Labour has never had a female leader, while the Conservatives have had three, and Mrs Badenoch urged the government to follow its meritocratic example.
'If you run a meritocracy, then you do not have to worry about jobs for the boys,' she wrote.
'Every woman who is a Conservative MP, every woman who has ever won the leadership, has had to fight to get where she is.
'By contrast, Labour women are demanding guarantees from Burnham. But the truth is he doesn't have to give any guarantees.
'If none of Labour's women are prepared to get their hands dirty and challenge him for the leadership, their demands are toothless.'
'In fact, it's quite revealing that the women's parliamentary Labour Party has written to Burnham asking him to commit himself to at least 50 per cent female ministers.
'This has nothing to do with meritocracy. It is yet more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country.'
Venezuela Fury and Noah Price subsidising their life by livestreaming
Venezuela Fury and her husband Noah Price look to be making their own way in the world by raking it in from their lucrative social media accounts.
The influencer daughter of Tyson and Paris Fury, 16, has become an internet sensation after tying the knot with her husband Noah, 19, earlier this year.
Since getting married and moving in together the couple have been earning thousands of pounds a month, livestreaming their life as newlyweds in their static caravan in the East Riding of Yorkshire.
And fans can't get enough of their regular life updates on TikTok and Kick, which have proved to be very profitable for the pair.
They look to be supporting themselves after Noah denied that he was given £5million by Venezuela's family as a wedding gift.
Despite his wife's huge family wealth, an estimated combined £160 million, Noah recently told his Kick followers that he 'pays for everything' for the couple.
Making light of the claims about Venezuela's millionaire financial status, Noah said: 'I actually pay for everything unfortunately. You'd expect the millionaire to pay for it wouldn't you.'
Venezuela Fury and Noah Price are earning thousands livestreaming their caravan life - after her new groom insisted he pays all the bills and denied he had £5m handout from her dad
The influencer daughter of Tyson and Paris Fury , 16, has become an internet sensation after tying the knot with her husband Noah, 19, earlier this year
Venezuela then asked their fans: 'Do you think I am a millionaire?'
Noah joked: 'She isn't a secret millionaire guys', before she broke into song and sang: 'But I live like a millionaire!'
But it seems according to estimated calculations from their social media work, Noah and Venezuela can more than afford to support themselves.
Noah has been livestreaming on platforms such as Kick and TikTok, where viewers can send paid gifts or donations.
He was previously encouraging viewers to send gifts on his honeymoon during livestreams, suggesting this is one revenue stream.
Both Noah and Venezuela have built substantial followings on Instagram and TikTok. They can potentially earn money through sponsored posts, brand collaborations, affiliate links and creator payouts.
Kick allows its creators to take home 95 per cent of the £4.99 subscription cost that fans pay.
Streamers keep 100 per cent of direct tips and donations, minus minor standard payment processing fees.
It is unclear how many subscribers Noah currently has because this information is hidden, but he does have 7,200 followers which is publicly viewable.
An industry insider has suggested Noah is making around £400 per video on TikTok, while Venezuela is likely to make £2,000 due to her following count of 1.3 million.
An industry insider has suggested Noah is making around £400 per video on TikTok, while Venezuela is likely to make £2,000 due to her following count of 1.3 million
In one video on their honeymoon, Noah asked his followers if they'd give them some more gifts now that they were married.
In a TikTok live viewed by 20,000 he said: 'Keep liking our videos people, keep sending gifts.'
After saying thank you to several of his followers he joked they should stick around on the livestream and 'watch Venezuela punch me in the mouth'.
The other half of the honeymooning couple said: 'I am, honestly!'
Noah previously confirmed that the pair don't share their finances after they were asked whether they have a shared bank account.
'She earns her money, I earn mine,' said Noah, as Venezuela joked: 'Yeah, what you gonna do about it.'
Noah went on to debunk the rumour that Tyson gave him £5million when he tied the knot with his daughter as he insisted: 'No Tyson did not give me £5million'.
Meanwhile Venezuela is being eyed up by executives for a fly on the wall TV series.
Noah went on to debunk the rumour that Tyson gave him £5million when he tied the knot with his daughter as he insisted: 'No Tyson did not give me £5million'
Boasting 1.3 million TikTok followers, Venezuela is already entertaining fans with her honest musings and candid moments, from cooking to kitting out her and Noah's static caravan home.
And following the success of the Netflix series At Home With The Furys, it is no wonder bosses are wanting to draw on the Fury popularity.
A TV insider said: 'The couple are not A-list celebrities but everyone has become obsessed with their love story.
'People are genuinely intrigued by them. Whether it’s the fact they have married so young, Venezuela’s famous family or their gypsy lifestyle, they have the ‘X factor'.
'Several TV executives think a proper fly-on-the-wall series following their lives as newlyweds in the gypsy community would be fascinating,' they told The Sun.
It is thought Netflix would be likely to produce the series due to their already established relationship with the Furys.
Venezuela's representatives told The Daily Mail: 'We have many offers on the table regarding Venezuela which we are discussing.'
